At a glance
- When
- Thursday 25 to Monday 29 March 2027, over the Easter long weekend; the festival entertainment zone opens on Thursday at 5pm
- Where
- Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC), corner of Flemington Road and Northbourne Avenue, Mitchell
- Tickets
- Season and Season + Camping tickets are on sale; day tickets are due from Monday 21 December
- Season ticket, adult
- $447.65 pre-sale, $454.74 sale, $463 at the gate (booking fees included; the price list does not say which tier is open now)
- Children
- Under 5 free; ages 5 to 11 pay $12.15 on a Season ticket
- Who it’s for
- Music and dance lovers, families with children, campers and anyone planning a long weekend in Canberra
- What to do now
- Decide between camping and a hotel, then buy a Season or Season + Camping ticket; reserved camp sites sell out each year
- Last checked
- Tuesday 10 November 2026, against the festival’s website, its 2027 price list and EPIC’s pages
- Not yet confirmed
- The full 2027 program grid, day ticket prices, any parking charge and the light rail hours for the Easter public holidays
The National Folk Festival returns to Exhibition Park in Canberra from Thursday 25 to Monday 29 March 2027, and Season tickets are already on sale. The festival says it is held every year over the Easter long weekend on Ngunnawal country.
This guide pulls together what the festival and EPIC have published so far: the ticket prices, the camping options, the gates, how to get there, the rules at the entrance and what is on for families. Details are as shown on the festival’s website and 2027 price list on 10 November 2026. All times are Canberra clock time (AEDT).
When is the National Folk Festival 2027?
| Day | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Monday 22 March | Pre-festival camping opens at 9am for people who have bought it |
| Thursday 25 March | Festival opens; the entertainment zone is open from 5pm and the Flemington Road ticket office opens at 5pm |
| Friday to Sunday | Festival days; the Festival Office is open from 8am to 10pm |
| Monday 29 March | Last festival day; the Festival Parade runs on Monday and the Festival Office closes at 8pm |
| Tuesday 30 March | Camping ends at 12pm |
EPIC’s listing gives the dates as 25 to 29 March 2027. The festival’s camping page says the entertainment zone is not open until the festival opens on Thursday afternoon at 5pm, so campers arriving early cannot go to the shows before then.
How much are the tickets?
The festival publishes a price list with three prices for each ticket type: Pre-Sale, Sale and Gate. The three early bird tiers are marked sold out. The list does not say which of the remaining columns is open today, so check the ticket page before you buy. Every price below includes booking fees.
| Season ticket (no camping) | Pre-Sale | Sale | Gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | $447.65 | $454.74 | $463 |
| Concession | $356.50 | $360.55 | $367 |
| Youth (12 to 17 years) | $113.43 | $118.49 | $124 |
| Child (5 to 11 years) | $12.15 | ||
| Child (under 5) | Free | ||
| Season + Camping ticket | Pre-Sale | Sale | Gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | $613.75 | $620.84 | $630 |
| Concession | $494.24 | $498.29 | $509 |
| Youth (12 to 17 years) | $164.07 | $169.13 | $175 |
| Child (5 to 11 years) | $17.21 | ||
| Child (under 5) | Free | ||
Day tickets, including Flexible Day tickets that can be used on any one day you choose, are due from Monday 21 December. The festival says only a limited number will be sold and the price list does not show a day price yet. You can also buy at the gate. The festival says the gate price is higher than the pre-paid price, booking fees still apply and tickets may sell out.
Tickets are non-refundable. Ticket insurance can be added at checkout. The festival does not accept cash for tickets, including at the gate.
Who gets a concession price?
The festival accepts four kinds of card for concession tickets: the Services Australia Health Care Card, the Pensioner Concession Card, the DVA Gold Card and full-time student cards. Seniors Cards are not accepted. You have to show proof of the card when you collect your wristband. Companion Card holders can get a ticket for their carer at no charge, and the Companion Card ticket has to be bought online or at the festival box office.
How do I get in and which gate do I use?
After you buy, you get an email with a QR code. At the entrance staff scan it and give you a wristband, which you must wear at all times and which lets you go in and out for the days it covers. You may be asked for photo ID or a concession card. Wristbands are not posted out, and lost or damaged ones are not replaced.
| Gate | Who uses it |
|---|---|
| Gate 2, Flemington Road ticket office | People arriving by bus or tram, or dropped off by car or taxi; disability and VIP parking only. It opens at 5pm on Thursday |
| Gate 7, Old Well Station Road ticket office | Most Season and Day ticket holders; at the northern end of EPIC. Season + Camping ticket holders must use it for their first entry |
The Old Well Station Road ticket office opens on the Monday before the festival for pre-festival campers and volunteers. The festival runs an on-site shuttle bus from Gate 7, where the public parking area is, to the Quokka and Fitzroy gates from Thursday to Monday.
How do I get there by tram, bus or car?
The festival says Canberra’s tram line has a stop right outside the Flemington Road ticket office, called EPIC and Racecourse. EPIC says to walk towards Northbourne Avenue from the stop and cross at the traffic lights at Gate 2. EPIC’s general guide lists the light rail hours as:
- Monday to Thursday from 6am to 11:30pm.
- Friday from 6am to 1am on Saturday.
- Saturday from 6am to 1am on Sunday.
- Sunday and public holidays from 8am to 11:30pm, with services every 15 minutes at weekends.
That page is a general guide for all EPIC events and the Easter weekend includes public holidays, so check Transport Canberra for the days you plan to travel. EPIC also lists a taxi pick-up and drop-off area at the main entrance off Flemington Road, and Canberra Cabs on 13 22 27.
By car, the festival points drivers on the Barton Highway and the Federal Highway to the Old Well Station car park and ticket office, Gate 7. EPIC says it has ample parking on site and that some events charge for parking. Neither source says whether there is a parking charge for the festival.
Where can I camp?
Camping is a long-standing tradition at the festival. A Season + Camping ticket lets you camp in an unreserved site. Reserved sites cost extra, and the festival says they sell out each year. Every camper needs their own Season + Camping ticket, even when sharing a site. Each site takes one tent or caravan and one vehicle, and an extra vehicle needs a camping zone car pass at $37.47.
| Camping area | What the festival says | Sound curfew |
|---|---|---|
| Acton Arena and the Oval | General group camping in neat rows near amenities; no reserved sites; no cars on the oval | 11pm |
| The Stables | For session musicians and not a quiet campground; powered reserved sites and general sites | 11pm |
| Cotter | Reserved sites only in 2027, for motorhomes, caravans and large sites | 11pm |
| Bicentennial | Reserved sites only in 2027; shaded and grassy, a good choice for families with young children | 10pm |
| Access Campground | For people with accessibility needs; an application form is required | 11pm |
Reserved camping prices on the 2027 list are $123.56 for Cotter powered, $93.17 for Cotter unpowered and $123.56 for Stables powered. The Bicentennial sites and the smaller Cotter powered sites are marked sold out. Power is only available at pre-paid powered sites; the general sites have none.
Can I arrive early or hire a tent?
Camping is open from 9am on Monday 22 March to 12pm on Tuesday 30 March. If you camp before Wednesday 24 March you must also buy pre-festival camping, which is $77.98 for an adult, $59.75 for a concession and $37.47 for a youth. Children under 12 are free.
You can add a rent-a-tent to a Season + Camping ticket: $437.52 for a 2-bed tent and $589.44 for a 4-bed tent. The festival says each tent is set up before you arrive and includes stretchers, mattresses, sleeping bags, pillows and a lantern. Rented tents are not available for pre-festival camping. Tent pegs can be no longer than 250mm, to protect the irrigation system.
What is there for children and families?
Children of all ages are welcome. Those under 5 are free, and ages 5 to 11 pay $12.15 on a Season ticket or $17.21 with camping. Everyone over 12 months old needs a wristband, and a contact phone number is registered against each child’s wristband. Children under 18 must be with a responsible adult at all times, and anyone aged 17 or under must arrive at the gates with a ticketed adult.
The festival’s Family Fest is headlined by Teeny Tiny Stevies, with concerts, Family Storytime and a Teeny Tiny Choir that rehearses over four days and sings in the Farewell Concert. Canberra’s Warehouse Circus performs its new show Bound and runs workshops, and Summer McCall from the USA leads a Youth Dance Ensemble. The festival also lists a Sunday Lantern Parade and a Monday Festival Parade.
For the practical side, the festival lists a cloakroom, an indoor parents’ room with a change table and microwave, a low-sensory room, kid-friendly food and a quiet camping area. The festival’s 2027 theme is Participation, Making Culture Together, and it says the program has concerts, workshops, dances and sessions that audiences can join.
What are the rules at the gate?
- No wristband, no entry. Footwear must be worn in the entertainment zone.
- No glass of any kind, including water bottles and food containers.
- No BYO alcohol. The festival is a licensed venue and the bars follow ACT licensing rules.
- The entertainment zone is smoke-free, including vapes. Use the unlicensed outdoor smoking areas.
- No animals, except registered assistance animals.
- Bags may be checked. Knives, weapons, illicit substances, sparklers, flares and fire-twirling equipment are prohibited.
How accessible is it?
The festival says EPIC has asphalt roads with kerbs, ramps and grassed ground, and that the site has a large footprint with many seated areas. The Access Team is in the Quokka pavilion from 9am to 7pm, Thursday to Monday, and offers charging stations for scooters and medical devices, a respite space and wheelchair hire. People with an Australian Disability Parking Permit can park free at the Well Station Road and Flemington Road car parks, as long as the permit is displayed for the whole time.
Accessible camping requires a form from the festival’s accessibility page, and assistance animals must be registered before arrival. Questions can go to info@folkfestival.org.au or the festival office on (02) 6262 4792.
Where can I stay if I do not camp?
The festival lists hotels, motels, apartments and cabins within a few kilometres of the site. Two have a code for festival ticket holders: Abode Hotels offers 12% off plus 5% cashback after check-out with the code FOLK27, and Canberra Park Motel offers 10% off with the code NFF1. Other listed places include Discovery Parks Canberra on Old Well Station Road in Gungahlin and the Canberra Rex Hotel in Braddon.
What has not been confirmed?
- The full 2027 program grid and set times. The festival says it is planning the program and is announcing artists over the coming months; the 2026 grid is online for a sense of scale.
- The price of day tickets, which are due from Monday 21 December.
- Whether the public car park charges, and the light rail hours on the Easter public holidays.
Sources
- Tickets — National Folk Festival (checked 10 November 2026)
- National Folk Festival 2027 ticket prices (PDF)
- Camping — National Folk Festival
- FAQs — National Folk Festival
- How to get here — National Folk Festival
- Family Fest — National Folk Festival
- Accessibility — National Folk Festival
- Off-site accommodation — National Folk Festival
- National Folk Festival 2027 — EPIC
- Transport and parking — EPIC
Photos: John Dengate at the 2004 festival, the EPIC and Racecourse light rail stop, Northbourne Avenue and the Royal Canberra Show grand parade, as credited in each caption (text added). One illustration is AI-generated and is marked as such.
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with the National Folk Festival or Exhibition Park in Canberra. Dates, prices and services can change; check the official pages above before you go.